Do we have the courage to reimagine Birmingham?

This is an opinion column

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Today’s guest columnist is Tyler Jones.

After our first night in Crestwood, we knew we weren’t alone in this old house.

The neighbor’s blueberry pie had been eaten by mice. Or was it the Norway rat?

Then came the water. It was coming from the ceiling, from the fireplace, from under the back door.

As a first-time homeowner, I quickly realized that while it wasn’t my fault this house was in disrepair, I was now very much responsible for it.

I feel the same tension about living in Alabama, that assigning past guilt is less productive than accepting present responsibility.

In Birmingham, I inherited a house with a cracked foundation.

Our fragmented local governments are rooted in systemic racism. Policies made by officials I wasn’t alive to vote for.

And yet, I believe I have a moral responsibility to leave this place better than I found it.

Criticism of a place, be it Birmingham or America, is often met with the “Love it or leave it” quip, to which I quote Jimmie Fails in defense of San Francisco: “You can’t hate it unless you like it .”

A few years ago, I visited a cattle rancher in Georgia named Will Harris who was receiving national attention for holistic land management.

His argument is simple: because of what industrial agriculture has done to the soil over the last century, sustainability is no longer enough. We have to regenerate it.

I am inspired by efforts to apply regenerative principles to other areas of society – business, health, public housing. The regenerative arts, for example, often engage with communities to promote interconnectedness and reconciliation.

The ancient indigenous concept of the “Seventh Generation Principle” meant that communal decisions were based on how they might impact seven generations into the future.

The transformation of Railroad Park from industrial wasteland to city living room stands out as a contemporary example of this radical approach.

How might similar thinking be applied to questions about the future of Legion Field? Or the Powell steam plant?

In Birmingham, we inherited a lot of complex problems, but we were also given a blueprint for how collective action can change the world.

The city’s history gives us no excuse to believe that our actions, however small, cannot have generational ripple effects.

As a filmmaker, I have had the privilege of witnessing countless examples of regenerative vision: of Joe Minter monument to the black experience in Titusville; Temple of Beth El initiative exploring activism from a Jewish perspective; The little magicians commitment to ensure that every child in Birmingham can thrive.

Each of these defies the status quo in favor of building bridges to an imagined future, or what some might call the Beloved Community.

My daughters, ages 1 and 4, will inherit a different city than the one I have.

But whether or not they stay here will probably depend on our current willingness and courage to reimagine ourselves.

Because sustainability is not enough for a place that is DECREASING.

Since buying a century-old house in Birmingham, I’ve removed the knob-and-tube wiring and evicted the squirrels from the attic. Progress is slow – and expensive.

After a long week recently, we sat down on the couch to catch up on a Netflix series. The sound of thunder was followed by a noise I hadn’t heard since we moved in: drip, drip, drip…

A new leak that needs repair.

Like all worthy endeavors, the work is never finished.

Tyler Jones is director of 1504, a narrative studio that integrates strategic communications with the visual arts. Contact him at [email protected].

David Sher is the founder and publisher ComebackTown. He was Chairman of Birmingham Regional Chamber of Commerce (BBA), Operation New Birmingham (REV Birmingham) and City Action Partnership (CAP).

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Invite David to speak to your group for free about how we can have a more prosperous metro Birmingham. [email protected].